


On the Rise

by AlphaPockets



Series: World Unknown [2]
Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, F/M, Gen, M/M, Magic, Other, Pack Politics, Referenced Kidnapping, Referenced violence, Shapeshifting, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:07:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25942573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaPockets/pseuds/AlphaPockets
Summary: While Nate, Mike, Ray, and Walt went to California to save Brad, Rudy, Pappy, and Poke were left to run Gray Warren. Elder Shasta's personal vendetta against Fick throws the clan into a new set of troubles and cause tensions in New York. Doc and Eric shift allegiance in hopes of saving what will be left to join Balboa when the High Elder is through with them.
Relationships: Brad Colbert/Nate Fick, Mike Wynn/Original Female Character, Pappy Patrick/Rudy Reyes, Tony Espera/Original Female Character, Walt Hasser/Ray Person
Series: World Unknown [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1882825
Kudos: 6





	1. Whispers

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back. This will be a slight backtrack in timelines for the first few chapters to explain what was hinted at toward the end of [Veiled Secrets and Shadows.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22420666/chapters/53567875) This will be the final fic to tie up all the loose ends on the series continuation. So sit back, and enjoy the ride. And thank-you for your support. <3  
> Once again, shout out to Hufflepurls, my beta.

Eric was not directly involved with the matters of Gray Warren. He was from a different pack and for the most part, they had been overly insular. Something he had noticed was common with the groups who lived in New York. That had been one of the main adjustments when he moved from Pennsylvania. He was younger in comparison, even younger than Ray. However, he was also older when everything manifested. His family thought it was odd to have him mundane in a family of weres, but when he turned 25, it all came to him. He had already done a turn in the military during Vietnam, completed college, and had returned home for a year when it all happened. He stayed in his hometown for a while until he took a chance and branched out, which was how he met Shasta and Great Fang. He had joined them, expecting the same openness and sense of community he had experienced in Pennsylvania. Instead, it seemed like they were neighbors who were cordial rather than a family or separate nuclear groups.

That was why he had been shocked to find out that Fick from Gray Warren had left for Scotland, returned, then immediately left for California. With some snooping, he was led to Poke, who explained in his usual untrusting and blunt manner that Brad was taken there and they had permission to go after him. This would be in direct conflict to what his own leader would tell them in a pack meeting later that week. How Shasta and his leader explained it, Nate had taken over the mission from Shasta because he was blinded by his attachment to the human. Because of that, Fick and those who traveled with him are dangers to the delicate balance. It was actions like theirs that risked getting humans involved and aware of their actions.

To Kocher, this was a red flag. He knew Fick. That was, perhaps, the only person in Gray Warren he could definitively say he knew and knew well. The man was one of the precinct leaders who he worked with as head of K-9 units. Fick was rational, thoughtful, and while not passive he was not one to overreact. If anything, he was more of an ambush predator than one who lashed out in anger. The description of events were forged and not very well. They ignored the glaringly obvious factor to him—these were all how Shasta would have acted if she were in Nate’s shoes as described. However, no one knew the man like he did, and his ears picked up the grumbling of disgust and annoyance. His pack was one of the few without Tied humans in their numbers. No one had that deep-seeded connection to another person to rationalize why this would have been a big deal to pursue and why it would have been Fick who got the position over Shasta.

Beyond that, she was unprofessional. Something he had noted and ignored willfully as time ticked by. She was abrasive, aggressive, and often too flippant on matters that pertained to the well-being of a person if it did not directly impact her own life. She would not have pushed to retrieve the human, only ensure punishment to the Oath Breakers and this Jordan prick who was collecting slaves. Simply because that was not allowed, and to her that was the ultimate sin. But what could he say to that, in a room full of people who believed her?

Nothing. So, Eric bit his tongue and waited. When they were dismissed his feet took him through the mess of tourists and business workers. He barely stopped to look at the food stands that smelled like heaven over the rank, dismal humidity that weighed the world down. He paused outside of a café he had been to a number of times, hopeful. Inside, he saw Rudy and Pappy out of uniform. He paused for a moment, unsure of exactly what to do. He wanted to help. Say something. But by doing this, he would be betraying his entire pack and essentially losing all of his connections. What’s more, if he got the word to them and Shasta dissolved Gray Warren before they had a chance to find somewhere else to turn, they would be exiled and unable to return. He weighed the options for a moment.

Then he reached out with his mind.

 _”Reyes,”_ he retired and watched for the moment when recognition replaced shock. When it did, he continued. _”We need to talk about your lieutenant and his plans but not in the city.”_

 _”What's this about, brother,”_ the usual calm tone asked hesitantly before adding, _”I am bringin’ Pappy in on this okay?”_

Eric actually liked Pappy better than Rudy, but he did not say that. Instead, he conceded with a yes and the drawl greeted him warmly. _”Shasta isn’t happy with Fick. I can’t say more because I don’t all know who is in the potential new clan that was asked for.”_

 _”Do you really think people could be searching surface thoughts about this,”_ Rudy asked. He seemed like he already decided that he agreed but needed to voice it so someone sounded less paranoid.

Eric didn’t bother replying to that.

 _”Brad’s place, then,”_ Pappy replied while blithely reading his novel as if there was nothing more important than that.

 _”Tell Poke,”_ Eric insisted. _”Tonight at 2200.”_

The Net went to static, but he saw them both nod. Eric bought his Jamaican meat pies from the vendor outside the café and headed to the nearest Subway to head back to his precinct. His car was still there, after all. And he had a lot to think about and reorder in his mind. The man tried his best to turn off his heightened senses as he made his way back. The subway was hot, the walkways smelled like hell, and it seemed like the “fresh air” of the outside world was going to suffocate him with the oncoming storm that was turning the sky gray. Fitting, he thought. Then wondered when he became this poetic. Maybe seeing more of Rudy would be bad for him.

He arrived after everyone else. It was tactical. They would all, naturally, arrive fifteen minutes prior to the call time. He would show up a few minutes later so they would have the home field advantage. There was no way to pull one over on them if they were all dug into the position. He got out of the car to find them on the porch. He waited for them to nod before approaching, then asked, “This it?”

His eyes were trained on Pappy who listened for a moment and turned to Rudy, who was doing the same thing. The men both nodded that it was silent. No one else but them, were supernatural. Poke watched with his eyebrows pinched and arched.

“What’s this about,” he asked in that classic blunt nature. Refreshing, actually.

“Shasta had a meeting with Great Fang today,” Eric began. No point in pussyfooting. “About Fick and him going to California.”

“Why is it any of y’all’s business what our pack leaders do for the High Council,” Pappy asked and cracked open his beer.

“Well, it’s our business when she claims it was her duty that he took from her,” Eric supplied then lifted a hand to silence them as all three opened their mouth to speak in his defense. “I know. I already know your side of the story and frankly, hers didn’t match up. If anyone paid enough attention to Fick, they’d spot all the inconsistencies. But she keeps us separate. We don’t share running grounds unless she permits it. Hell, I don’t think most of us were present when Colbert was Tied.”

The other three hummed. Rudy sighed and got up from his place on the bench. He walked away and came back with a can of beer that he shoved into Eric’s hand. The man paused for a moment before stepping up onto the porch and sitting with them. This was not how he expected the night to go. In fairness, he was not sure what to expect, but this was not it. He opened the can and took a sip.

“So, what’s she planning,” Poke asked.

“To tell everyone Fick usurped her position, that he went above his rank and undermined a superior’s word. And then she’s going to push for his immediate removal as a leader and from New York.”

At once, the three spoke again in varying levels of disdain. There was a ghost of a smile on Eric’s face to see them care for their leader. Eric would not cry if McGraw was removed tomorrow. He’d probably drink more to celebrate. He sneered.

“We need to tell old boy what’s happening,” Poke decided. They looked at him. Rudy’s face softened for a moment.

“I don’t know. Maybe Walt or Ray. Not until we know they have Brad.” Rudy waited and watched how Poke looked flabbergasted at that, then continued. “He’s there to get the job done and get Jordan. If we tell Walt or Ray, they’ll at least let Mike know.”

“And what about us, then. We just let this happen? Do nothing and let Shasta fuck our boy over?”

“No,” Rudy replied. It amazed Kocher how soft his yell was. The man swallowed and proceeded calmly. “We wait for further instructions from Mike and try our best to keep the rumor mill from poisoning Gray Warren.”

“I can help with that,” Eric offered. They looked at him and he snorted into his beer at their shock. “My pack leader is a fucking idiot. I’m sure I could intimidate him into listening for a bit. But she is aiming for the next Moon.”

“Why next moon,” Pappy asked as Rudy and Poke exchanged glances at each other.

“Because we have summons to the Catskills this one. The letter came in this afternoon. If Nate or Mike don’t show up, Shasta can call for desertion and take the clan.”


	2. The Schism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those of Gray Warren who remained are faced with two sobering facts: Shasta has moved forward with her vengeance and there are some in the clan who are not willing to stand by their leaders in this divide. While they have no choice but to roll over in the moment, the last members begin to plan.

“You’re paranoid,” was not a phrase Poke had expected from Cass. He liked Cass as much as any of the pack. He was nothing overly special, but he was at least competent. Older and from Florida or Georgia, some state hit by constant hurricanes, and relocated in the 80s. He had always seemed loyal and more than happy to go along with pack ruling, but right now it seemed that was less of the case than before. Worse, he had noticed Cass hanging out with the Great Fang boys more than anyone in Gray Warren.

It had been two nights since they heard from Kocher. For his part, the man had kept his profile low and had not come by since. He hadn’t even texted or messaged out of paranoia, maybe. Gray Warren did their best to keep their heads down as their leader told them to and kept an eye on the other packs and clans. The three who knew more were able to look out for possible rumors growing. What bothered Poke was no one was talking. What bothered him more was how the clan was out for beers at their usual spot and Cass had not shown up two hours into it. He watched the door over the neck of his Corona and listened. Rudy and Pappy were throwing darts and a few others were milling around. His wife and Tied human ran her fingers along his shoulder.

“He’s not here,” Poke stated obviously. Gina raised her eyebrow and he shook his head. “Cass has never missed one of these. Not since he fucking came over.”

 _”Pappy said Eric saw him with his boys watching the game,”_ Rudy pushed through the Net. He felt multiple shifts in how Gina felt about that before it leveled to neutrality.

“Tomorrow is the run,” she pointed out. “I’m sure we will get a better understanding of what is happening then. I’ll talk to Josh and see if I can get a sense of Shasta’s mood.”

“If he’ll talk to you,” Poke stated bluntly.

He loved how her lip curled into a dangerous smirk. She was powerful, more than most would give her credit for. He had met her in the 20s after he came back from World War I. His father had been on the Spanish side of the fighting in the Southwest before he naturalized to the United States. She had been from Louisiana with a rich, deep accent and a smile that made him dumb. Gina was a brilliant mind, outspoken, and had kept him in line for decades. Now was no exception.

“I’ll try my best. He won’t talk to Pappy.”

Pappy hummed in agreement as he sat down with their basket of fries and a few beers. He watched them for a moment and shook his head. “I should have learned my lesson in playing along sooner. But I ain’t sure that’d help. He just doesn’t like me none.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Gina told him. He hoped she was right.

The Run was somber this go around. The month prior, they had had a member attacked. With so many of Gray Warren gone, they had been shocked by the summons to the Catskills for an official run notice. They had no need to be there and could have easily gone just outside of the city to another location. It was not their turn, moreover, and Great Fang was due to run elsewhere, as well. But now both of the packs took the place of the. Shasta stood by the fire once again, looking more enraged than downcast. The glow from beneath was eerie in nature. Poke looked over at Rudy and Pappy, who arrived with their attire packed. It was not safe to use the Net here with so many surface readers, but he could see the same tension.

“I am aware many of you were shocked to find yourself here this cycle,” Shasta began when the group had arrived. Her eyes looked across at them all and lifted her arms. “We felt it was fair to give both packs a chance for a proper time out in light of previous events. Are our leaders present?”

The leaders from Great Fang moved up to the front of the gathering. Rudy and Pappy moved as well before they were halted by Shasta. It felt as though the stifling heat of the crowd and the fire turned to ice.

“Where are your leaders,” Shasta asked.

Poke growled low, but enough to have Cass and a few others look over at him. He looked ahead. Shasta knew where they were. She was present in the Pack meeting not even a week ago when Nate and Mike said they were headed to California for the mission. It was the High Council who gave them permission to leave. She was being petty and vindictive, just as Nate feared and Kocher confirmed. Something was not right. Gina squeezed his hand.

“By order of the High Council, Leaders Fick and Wynn are in California acting on the Rites, High Elder,” Rudy offered gently. “They had not changed their plans from your meeting with the Elder of the region there.”

A long silence sat over the group.

“Leader Fick was permitted to miss this run, yes. However, Leader Wynn was not directed to California. Are you saying he abandoned you without official orders?”

“No, High Elder,” Rudy tried again. His voice was tight and dropping low with his frustration. “Leader Fick placed myself and my Bonded as leaders in his place and ordered that Leader Wynn accompanied him for the logistical support of this mission.”

“Without my permission,” Shasta replied.

This time, Rudy stayed silent. Much like Poke, he must have realized this was all entrapment. With a pack of policemen, it was foolish to do that. They knew the game she was playing. Cass looked confused by this, however. He seemed to genuinely not have expected Shasta to go this far in the pursuit of establishing control over the packs and the region. Or, perhaps, he was not aware that Nate had insulted her to the point of this being how she felt. He looked to Poke, who shook his head, then looked forward again.

There was no ecstasy after the run. Now joy and bounding energy. The rush and playfulness had been dredged from them by the realization. With the moon waning, they all returned to New York City and found themselves once again at Brad’s house. They had debugged the whole place. Gina spent the two days unwiring everything. With it completely dismantled and put in a trash bin by the old Radio Shack, they sat out on the porch and stared into the blank wilderness. And for a moment, Poke felt bad for the poor white boy who had been roped into all of this. He had moved here to escape an obsessive ex-girlfriend who married his own best friend. He just wanted to escape and did so as well as anyone could have in the modern age. It was somehow still not enough, and worse, it changed his life. Ruined it maybe.

“Rudy, what are you doing,” Pappy asked, bemused as Rudy stood up suddenly to fetch a notebook. He started scribbling everything down on his screen.

“The California boys finally got me that recipe I asked for,” he replied brightly. “They’re off the mountain and Christenson has reception again.”

“They’re off the mountain…” Kocher breathed out as Gina asked, “Does that mean?”

“They have him. Nate and Brad have been in San Diego for two days recovering while the rest finished the moon.”

“He’s alive,” Pappy asked carefully. The happiness that swelled in the Net was unmistakably a yes.

Poke took a drink. He’ll worry about the bad news tomorrow. Tonight, they’ll focus on the good. They had their dumb Nordic asshole back. Fick had his Bonded. That’ll do, for now.


	3. The Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray Warren is officially disbanded as they wait for their leaders to get to the East Coast and help stop them from being outlawed and labeled rogue.

Rudy was a worrier by nature. There was a lot that troubled his mind when he looked over things. The impact that they all had each other and those around them. He was spiritual. He understood better than most the fact that they were far more than just hybrid beings. Rudy, had been raised before the European introduction of the mentality of superiority. He had been born in what would become the western territory of the United States and moved east when the railroads had been completed. The man never bought fully into the whole idea of the head leaders who acted the way Shasta had. He joined, of course, because of how Mike interacted with him. Someone so solemnly dedicated to the pack and the people. They were family to Mike, not just followers.

The silence that came with the long distance had wore on his mind. He was not used to not seeing Nate and Mike’s faces. Hear the way their voices change in mixture with the eyes or the shifting in posture. It was vital for him. But now it was either short phone calls or text messages shared whenever one was awake. And while that soothed the rest of the pack who remained, it worried Rudy more. He was fond of Mike, yes, but more so of Nate. Nate, who had a soul that was idealistic and wanted to be pure but had been burned and torn apart. He wanted to see the best in people and believe there could be more he could do. It was what inspired him to stay when things were looking too much for him. His loving ease of command and attentiveness made it hard to leave and easy to stay.

They had called twice, now, with the pair. The second was a video call. Brad looked tired and thin but Nate was oddly glowing. His pale eyes luminescent and bright as they flicked between the screen in front of them where Pappy and Rudy were and Brad on the couch. Walt and Ray were yelling from upstairs about something and a few other figures floated through the background. They had been about to set up a call with some other people in the Balboa pack to investigate the location they found Brad. It seemed as though Brad and Nate had figured everything out between them, which would make everyone settle down. But from what Rudy could tell, the leaders at Balboa were doing more for their pack than their own High Elder did.

He had hung up with them and walked to the kitchen when he heard a knock and smelled the wave of a familiar scent. Pappy unlocked the door, and neither were shocked to see Kocher there. But he looked alarmed. The easy smile of Pappy seeing an old friend slid off his face immediately and Rudy felt the panic well up in his chest. His eyes were piercing and angry, not at them, but he felt like there was nothing directed at them. The shifter brisked inside and looked around.

“No Cass?” He asked curiously before turning to look at the pair. They shook his head and the man continued. “Word was just passed down for a mandatory retreat for all of Gray Warren to her cabin.”

“Why does that sound foreboding,” Pappy asked cautiously.

Kocher sat down on the couch and the other two stood in front of him with worried faces. The man was normally skilled at keeping himself stamped down. He was muted and careful with what he showed to the wide world, but now it was rolling off him. And it was almost overwhelming to feel the amount that someone like Ray felt coming from the generally stoic man. More than anything, it hit Pappy, who was more connected than anyone else to the man. After a moment, he sat down beside his friend and put a hand on his knee and patted. They waited it out for a moment and Kocher took in a long, shaky breath before continuing.

“In the absence of the leadership at the run led her to decide to dissolve the pack. She will make it official over the next week. The other packs and clan will take over the pack members who remain behind and they assigned trial before the next moon for Mike and Nate to see the regional courts.”

“Why haven’t they told us?” Rudy asked. He looked at Pappy, who nodded and decided he needed to call Poke and Gina over.

“So, you can’t tell them,” he explained as though it were obvious. Rudy felt a snarl burn in his chest. “You will probably be informed tomorrow and have to be up there by the weekend or else be listed as renegade. She’s trying to break your loyalty to them.”

“Does she really think that fear will be stronger,” Rudy asked despite himself. Kocher only nodded. “Fuck. She is going to ruin all of the region with this. Can people really stand for this?”

“Rudy,” Kocher admonished as Pappy joined them, stating the other two were heading over. “They get power out of this. The new pack that wants to form can now do so and absorb those who are abandoned by Fick and Mike. It means she can drain her own group from those who were clearly not loyal to her but to each other. You know that she doesn’t want a community. By having us all separated, she keeps us from changing.”

“Why did you ask if Cass was here?” Pappy stated after a moment of silence.

“He was there when I was told. I figured naturally he would let you know because it is your pack.” Kocher paused and weighed the moment. “Unless he has already decided to leave it.”

“You’re sure about the retreat,” Rudy asked, and Kocher nodded. “You call Nate and let him know. Poke will be here in a few minutes. We can decide what else can be done.”

Kocher did just that. It was short, as Nate was at what sounded like one major gathering that he was ensured was a cover for their actual mission. That did not change the fact that the obvious tunes of drunken people singing in the background. He felt bad, noting how worried he had sounded in contrast to the hopeful and cheery tone from when Walt handed the phone over.  
 _  
“Are you sure,” Nate had asked the third time. Kocher had not minded this, as it was logical._

_“Unfortunately, sir. I’m sorry I hadn’t told you sooner.”_

_“No, no it’s okay, Eric. Thank-you. You did more than you even needed to. Is there anyone else who may try to resist?”_

_“I don’t know. Doc, maybe. He isn‘t aligned to anyone technically but he’s soft for you.” He smirked when Nate snorted at that. “As soft as he gets, that is. But I can talk to him at least. Take care, sir.”  
_

Poke sat down across from them with Gina balancing their daughter on her hip. She was still small with her teeth poking through. She had one hair aggressively fisted in her mother’s hair and the other holding the shirt. Gina was watching Poke over the girl’s black-brown hair as her bond mate was talking with the rest. Doc had shown up, too, with his usual scowl now with deepened creases. He had just been with the leaders of the other packs and clans in the city. As he was unaligned, it was generally up to him where he stayed and spent the Run. He was not rogue, entirely, but as one of the few medical professionals in the region willing to work with others it came to him to oversee larger groups and difficult procedures. Today, however, he had been conducting a set of physicals on a few members of the Gray Warren.

“So, Cass told others after all,” Pappy sighed. The man’s charming disposition that made Rudy fond of him from the start was seeping away into lamentation. He couldn’t blame the man, of course. This was not good.

“They’re moving to Dark Night,” he explained with a growl. “Dark Night is the group splitting off when the space is available into a second clan. This gives Cass the chance to move up in the pack hierarchy.”

“But would Shasta allow that?” Gina asked.

“For the right price. Shasta wants loyalty. Cass is loyal to her. He picked Gray Warren because Fick was just about complacent in his role and Wynn doesn’t rock the boat when he doesn’t need to. Now that they’re not the best option to stay in her favor, it’s time to move.”

“The clan is really abandoning Mike and Nate, then.” Rudy sighed.

It hurt both his heart and head. He still remembered the wide-eyed and hopeful but pained expression on Nate when he was brought to New York from Sweden. His earnest desire to do right by those who took him in and those he would work over as Mike’s second. He must have growled because a hand and a push of affection came through the Net that was purely Pappy. His messages and touches were always gentle like a caress but lingered. He had never been one of the more open or obvious Mates of the clans and packs Rudy knew. His private consolation and kindness fit with Rudy’s mentality. With him, the fear of this being a Stockholm attachment never crossed his mind, as it was always Pappy who reminded him they had always been in things together.

“Worse,” Doc explained. “They’ll be telling everyone who is unsure of this trip up north that they, like Fick and Wynn, are banned from New York per order of the council with assets frozen. And they’ll be watching linked accounts in case of possible activity.”

“So what,” Poke asked. “We’re hostages up there while they ban our leaders from returning and keeping us together? If we refuse, we’re rogue?”

“Pretty much,” Eric sighed.

“But if we’re up there,” Rudy started carefully, “they wouldn’t think to look at our accounts then. If we have people down here who can do such things for us.”

Heads turned and looked at him. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

“That’s an idea,” Eric replied thoughtfully. Then attention was on him. “I’m… not a fan of how this is going down. I don’t want to spend another minute under Dave’s ineffective ruling. I can work down here while all of you prepare for the trip to the cabin.”

“Me too,” Doc replied. “They can fucking deal with their own shit if this is how they’re fucking treating family. Keep your fucking heads down up there.”

Rudy swallowed and nodded. The clan was being dissolved. He would be losing everyone he had become reliant on. Worse, both he and his Mate would have to search for another new life outside of New York, regardless how this ended. A part of him knew he could not stay up where people were willing to do this just to get back at someone or gain prestige. It was against his soul. Another pulse of affection came his way and Rudy looked up to see warmth in Pappy’s eyes. Such an old soul in them for someone more than one third Rudy’s age. It made his heart clench then swell for a moment. But that pulse was right. The confidence that they’d all figure it out. They just had to trust Eric and Doc to figure it all out here. Finally, they nodded and the planning began.


	4. To the Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clan formerly known as Grey Warren has their leaders back, though secretly. The six who were in California return and those still loyal bring them to a neighboring running ground to plan.

_It is done_ was the only text that was sent.

Doc had been waiting to hear more before calling them. He had worked hard to ensure Shasta thought genuinely he was staying in the city to be there for the rest of the team. However, he had the others’ phones and access to their accounts. He had gone to Rudy and Pappy’s house when they all left and set up shop there. Kocher had to continue to put on the front that nothing was changed. He worked with Dave still in a different precinct. The man was one of the few who was able to fill in for the sudden absence of multiple people in 4-9, which as usual was something that Shasta had not thought of when it came to these mandatory breaks of time. While most of the humans were dumb enough to fall for it, someone else would catch on.

He was reviewing the different accounts when someone came in through the front door. It was Eric, naturally, who also had the key. But he looked bothered enough for Doc to stand up and cross from the guest room to the dining room where the other man called from. Eric was peeling off his jacket and kicking off his work boots when Doc joined him. There was an alert sense to his eyes that would be panic if he were a lesser man. He wasn’t, so it was simply concern that coursed through the face. He looked tense and unsure.

“I ain’t got all day for you to unswallow your tongue, Kocher,” Doc snapped. But the man only glared.

“The issue went out to the region,” Kocher explained. “They have a plane for tomorrow, but it’s too late. They’re already considered deserters. Gray Warren is dissolved.”

“They just got up there a day ago,” Doc grumbled before he fished out his phone.

“I know. They moved fast on purpose. I think Shasta was informed by the someone on the council that they had captured Jordan and would be returning soon. She needed to do this before they could get back.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Doc asked briskly.

“They’re flying into Newark.” Kocher had the gall to laugh at him for the way his nose wrinkled. Doc hated New Jersey. “We’ll pick them up and drive them across the state line.”

“Anyone on the watch that you know of? Looking for their license plates on the road?”

“Probably. They will at least let the airports know for those who are working at LaGuardia and JFK.”

“Fuck.”

“Mhm.” Eric paused and caught Doc’s gaze. He held it, though unwillingly. “Tim. We’ve got this. They’re not staying in the city. We’ll use our cars or a rental from Connecticut if need be. Shasta’s pissed off the New England clans bad enough where they’ll house the pair for the Run next week while we come up with a better plan.”

That was what Doc had to accept. The two men sat in silence for most of the night working on the accounts and finances. Ray texted them more than anyone else. He and Walt were flying into Providence in two days. They would drive down to the clan Kocher mentioned and stay with them for a few days there. As no one from the city left the state often, it was hard to believe they’d be spotted in New Haven, especially as school was starting back up soon. The flight for tomorrow was a red eye from San Diego and they would get the two men at nine in the morning and drive them around New York City to enter Connecticut in a different direction. They’d both be back before their night meeting with Great Fang, who was hosting Doc for the run.

In the morning, they drove in silence as they were up before the sun rose to leave the area before anyone caught them. Doc felt it was ridiculous this was at all needed, but Eric explained that Dave was extra paranoid. So, rather than Eric’s soccer mom van, the pair crammed into Doc’s smaller sedan and headed south to catch breakfast coffee at the Dunkin at the motorway station and dodged the terrible drivers of New Jersey. Both Nate and Mike looked exhausted when they waved them down with their single packs. However, the rush of warmth filled the car when the figure who was bent down stood tall, a head over the other two with a head of golden hair.

Even Doc could smile to himself at seeing Brad safe. They squeezed inside, with Eric staying up front so the other three were hidden with tinted windows. Once they drove far enough out of the way to not be a normal path for anyone in the regional groups, they got out and stretched their legs. When they did, Eric walked over and pulled Nate into a long hug before tucking his nose against the man’s jaw—something he then repeated to both Mike and a confused looking Brad.

“You’re coming with us?” Mike asked slowly as he watched Brad blink at the action.

“Yeah,” Eric replied. “I’m fucking done here. If I stay, I’ll get quartered for killing McGraw and Shasta myself.”

Nate looked at him reproachfully, but Doc snorted darkly.

“And you?” Nate asked him. Doc was genuinely shocked to see the concern and hopefulness in those green eyes.

“Of course,” he muttered. “Can’t fucking trust your dumb ass to stay out of trouble.”

The smile Nate gave was suddenly bright and dazzling. It reminded the man so much of the younger shifter Mike had dragged out of his shell. The weight of decisions and the politics of the packs and clans not weighing on his mind. Just the pure glee of a man who was able to be surrounded by the people who mattered to him. His family.

“What’s the plan then?” Mike asked when they were crammed in the car once more.

Brad was up front now, as the tallest of them, with Mike behind his seat and Kocher in the middle with his knees pressed to his chest.

“They already dissolved the clan,” Kocher explained and was interrupted by Nate swearing. “They’re held up at the cabin with full watch in the event you try to break in by force. She’s expecting you to go about this as an act of war, I think.”

“An invasion?” Nate asked and blinked. “Never even considered it as it’d be attacking people I know too well. No, that’s not what I was hoping for.”

“What were you expecting?” Doc asked, though he knew the answer.

“He wants to talk it out,” Brad cut off the attempted explanation from Nate. The older shifter glared ineffectively at his Bonded. “His plan is to appeal to camaraderie. Give her what she wants—him leaving—in exchange for what he wants. Travel, his pack, and the right to merge elsewhere.”

“Do you really think she would go for that?” Doc asked. His eyes flicked into the rearview mirror. Nate looked a bit defeated when he shrugged.

“It’s worth a shot. I don’t want to push this further than it needs to go. If she gives me that much, I will happily disappear from her realm and not come back without reason.”

Doc was not sure about that. From what he could see of her plan, Shasta hoped to ruin him. She felt slighted by his favor that was given by the High Council. Even if he had gained it when she stepped to the side. This went beyond logic—it was pride. And pride was the most dangerous of feelings to meddle with. She’d not be logical. And Doc knew that a part of Nate understood this. But the slightly bloodthirsty and angry predatorial side that had come out in the last decade had died away. Maybe it was seeing the violence in California or maybe something had shown him another way to approach this. Whatever it was, he seemed to wish there was more that could be done without risking lives.

The rest of the ride was quite aside from banter and understanding the new pack. Nate and Mike spoke highly of the elders, Auburn and Barrett. How Walt and Ray fit in a bit too well with the junior members of the team. When they mentioned anything exciting that happened, Brad gave a filthy grin but looked out the window, which said enough for him. Mike flushed a bright red, which got their attention. The last hour was spent picking on the eldest shifter, about Olivia, the Guatemalan staff sergeant who had signed to be his Bonded when they returned from this mission. Doc joined in after sensing that Mike was not as mad or bothered as he pretended to be.

Rudy would say it was fate. Doc thought that type of shit was just that—bullshit. He couldn’t deny the hope he had when he thought about the move there. Each of the members had rooms available for temporary living spaces while the others got set up. Brad and Nate found a house already, as did Ray and Walt. In fact, the pair were delayed because they were finishing their paperwork on it. It balanced out the dread they all felt about how these talks would go down.

The plan was combed over a few times before Ray and Walt arrived in a Civic that left much to be desired. Ray’s face was sunburnt on the nose and cheeks while Walt looked tanner and his hair blonder. They both hugged Nate and Kocher. Ray was hanging off Brad’s shoulders when Nate got his phone call from Patterson stating Jordan was now in Scotland and undergoing trial officially. His voice seemed concerned about the rest of their situation. Doc listened in though he should not have and heard Patterson ask if he needed anything from the Old World about this. After a long pause, Nate told him to wait a day.

“He still means to ask her.” Walt asked. He had moved in quietly; Doc had been startled slightly.

“Yeah,” Doc replied and looked forward. “Fucking idealists.”

“Yet you still would follow him cross country with no safety net other than his word.”

Doc didn’t know what to say to that. He had all the faith in the world when it came to how Nate and Mike functioned as a team. Yet he couldn’t help but sneer at this one. So, he said nothing and waited on the plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so delayed. School kicked my _**ass**_ this past semester, plus the roommates have decided to move so we have social distancing house tours that uproot me constantly. I'm still working on this! Sorry!


	5. The Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before Nate talks with Shasta sees the loyal remaining members concerned and skeptical. Just in case, the humans are kept safe and out of reach.

Poke hated the plan. Eric hated the plan. Both Rudy and Pappy were dubious and even Doc had opened his mouth about it. But they did not have a say in the moment. Not with how soon everything was. They could hide out in Connecticut for the run and allow themselves to be considered rogue, but there were regional leaders who were involved in their precinct and the district. One action against them prematurely could result in all of their lives being ruined over someone else’s imagined slight. So, while they did not like it, they also agreed it had to be done correctly. And, as with everything in the Old World, there was a process to this. Nate stated he would not ask for forgiveness, and neither would Mike. They had Patterson on standby in the event this went terribly, but the idealist he was, Nate genuinely believed some may see their side. Poke thought that whatever juice he had been drinking in California had pickled his Ivy League brain.

He watched the group gather at the small cottage they rented. Gina had gotten a proper hotel in town and was staying with Pappy for the Run. As Brad would be attending this meeting, the older man promised to look after the woman and baby best he could. When he had asked if Nate could do that, the fucker had the audacity to smile sharply and reply, “I’m an elder now, too. And she disbanded your pack.” That translated to: he was giving her shelter when she had been tossed out by a leader. While Poke was not safe, this at least kept the humans protected as they were suddenly without a safety net that could keep Tied humans in line.

It was surreal to see such a somber mood. Walt and Ray sat glued to each other’s hips as always, but there was a muteness to the darker haired man. The wolf was less the ball of excitement and more of solemn duty. His expressive brows were knit together and his hand gripping Walt’s as the werecat softly rubbed his knuckles with the pad of his thumb. At least the boys figured their shit out, Poke allowed as he sat down with them. Eric had been in the city with him and Doc all day. As they would have to show up to the Run, they were back in town, still and waiting on the Slack message from the team a few hours away. Rudy and Pappy had commuted to work from the site, as well, and had arrived a little before he did. The man sat down and got a cautious smile from Walt, who had noted his arrival with a small head nod.

“Have we heard anything from them,” Poke asked. Mike shook his head and ran his hand over the short hair on his head. “How long ago did he leave?”

“Five hours ago. Enough time for him to get there and start his case.” Poke only hummed in response to Mike’s statement. However, a woman’s voice from the phone made him almost jump out of his skin.

_”We haven’t heard anything from him, either, but his location is showing he is still at the location.”_

Poke looked at the phone and saw the image of a woman sitting at a computer with her black hair slicked back into an immaculate bun. She was dressed in desert camouflage with black chevrons on her collar. The man looked up at Mike, confused as to who the hell was in on this, as well.

“Olivia,” Mike replied, reading his expression. “This is Poke, the one you’ve yet to meet.”

_”Ah, the one with the daughter. Pleasure. I doubt they would think to turn off their phones, but if their locations vanish, we’ll know.”_

“Locations,” Poke asked.

“Balboa is using their phone GPS to track them for us,” Walt explained.

“She’s one of the leaders then?” the man felt a bit more relaxed now, knowing there were more tricks up their sleeve. There was a short pause and Poke arched his brow at the way Mike’s ears turned pink.

“Eventually,” Mike replied neutrally. “How was everyone at the precinct?”

“Concerned you and boy wonder put in your two-week notice,” he replied, figuring Mike was not about to share that detail. “None of the other packs know you’re back and figure you’re still hiding in California. Fucking McGraw asked if I was looking at Great Fang for the new pack.”

“Fucking Captain America.” Ray sneered. Poke hummed.

They waited in tense silence for what seemed like an hour as Olivia gave small updates every so often and the hustle of conversation behind her filled in more and more. A few other figures in olive drab tee shirts or BDUs passed behind her in the time, but they all froze when Walt’s phone buzzed. Even Olivia’s gaze snapped to the screen from wherever she had been looking. Over her shoulder, a man he did not recognize with a long face and heavy features appeared over her shoulder. He was in blue camouflage and had shiny bars on his collar instead. Walt answered, not bothering with speaker phone as they’d all hear anyway.

“Nate,” he asked carefully. There was a pause.

“It’s safe to say that things were not amiable in this,” Nate’s voice commented. “It seems she has gotten into my account and Mikes and noted the large withdrawals of funds and knows someone told us of her plan. Gray Warren stands tribunal trial tomorrow evening.”

Poke paled. That was a death sentence for anyone who was caught conspiring against this. Tribunal was nothing more than a kangaroo court looking to get them all pinned with treason to the High Council by undermining her leadership. She was claiming they attempted a coup and needed their sentencing before anyone could interfere. Mike inhaled sharply and waved his fingers for the phone, which Walt handed over quickly.

“Nate,” he said. “We have Patterson on standby. But you are probably going to be followed. Return to your home as if you’re packing.”

“Can he even get here in time?” Nate asked ruefully. It was uncomfortable for him to sound so defeated.

“He can,” Mike replied with certainty. “Go home. Pretend nothing is happening out here, and we will call in the guns.”

“What are we going to do?” Nate sighed.

“Get our boys out safe. Most of them are here. They can’t attack us without threatening an Oath Breaking with this council.”

There was a long pause again, then Nate sighed, agreed, and hung up. The man on the phone asked what was happening, and Mike relayed the information to this Auburn gentlemen. He disappeared to find Barrett quickly and left only Olivia on the screen with her brows drawn together.

 _”I can put in for emergency leave,”_ she started, and Mike shook his head. _”Michael.”_

“We both know Barrett is going to come over here to cause hell, which means Auburn will need you to help hold down the fort while he’s gone. We’ve seen what happens when the flanks are left unguarded.”

There was a pause, then she smiled sadly.

 _”You’d make a fine Marine.”_ she informed him. But she agreed to stay and instead they started to work through their plans.

Barrett joined the call a half hour later, where he informed them that he would be arriving in Providence at six in the morning. Ray and Walt agreed to pick him up. He also confirmed that Patterson could fly into Logan and arrive a few hours later, which the pair then agreed to get them both. The pack members were not to go to the Run, as they were not there by mandate and the tribunal was not delivered directly to them. If she pursued them as Nate and Mike both were convinced that she would, Shasta would be enacting an unsanctioned hunt for those who were not present. Before they hung up, Barrett asked Olivia to send over the official paperwork for those who wished to be sent to Poke’s email, where he could print them out and they could sign when he arrived later that day. He had sent Brad the paperwork for Eric and Doc already, as the paperwork required to leaders to be present at the signing.

When they hung up, it was getting dark slowly and the faces around him were grim and shut off. Finally, Mike looked at him and Rudy before nodding.

“Go be with your humans. They’re not as protected as you two are if you’re not present. I have these two to watch my back.”

Poke sighed out his nose but agreed. They were all officially wanted. And potentially hunted rogues in the minds of their former family. His heart raced for a moment as he realized that everything he had known and called home was about to be taken away. His wife’s life and daughter’s future was now in the hands of the off chance everything lined up just right, and if Shasta did not do anything too crazy in pursuit of victory. But in that moment, he could not help but feel for Mike, who probably saw all this as his fault. That his dedication to Nate had bit them all in the ass. He reached out with his mind and nudged the old man with a press of warmth and only left when Mike noted the small smile twitch on his lips.


	6. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter.

Tim was not used to being small in comparison to people. Nate and Brad were both tall. Rudy and Poke were the only ones who had a stronger build than he did. And the rest were either shorter like Ray and Walt or lithe like Pappy. So, meeting Barrett in person was an experience. Tim was not the biggest man to begin with, strongly built and taller than average in stature. He held himself with a presence that made it feel like he loomed, however, even when he was the shorter of the people in the group. That dominance waned when the werebear unfolded himself from the sedan he had graciously rode in the back seat of. Another man, closer to Mike’s stature and age, came out as well. Really, it looked like a goddamn clown car.

He waited with the others. He had decided against going to the forced meeting, as he was not technically part of any clan or pack. Tim was there to heal those who were injured and take care of everyone. He worked for himself and the state council. And, thanks to Mike working tirelessly with his mate—not that he had admitted to that but rather blushed and stammered while Nate laughed—Olivia, for California by the end of the week. He had met his perfect match. It was something Tim mused about a few times while the pair had worked together and seamlessly despite barely meeting. Even Brad and Nate lacked that instant mental connection.

Then again, Brad had actively tried to avoid making any connection both in and out of the pack early on. Much like Tim, he was a loner. And much like Tim, it would not have been shocking if he had never found a “one true person.” Not everyone had a mate, and Tim was one of the few who hoped he was one of those without.

He had greeted them with Brad as Mike and Nate had headed into the city with Poke and the others. Brad was not needed and most likely not wanted in town. Beyond that, they all knew he had little desire to go back into the place where they essentially condemned him to die then planned to ruin his and his mate’s life out of pettiness. So, instead, he and Tim had been looking over the various houses and apartments the clan members were looking at when the car approached. Ray, in true Ray fashion, had rolled up with sunglasses on, a hand dangling loosely out the window, and a cocky smirk as he purred, “Hey, hey, hey.”

Tim had tried not to like Ray. It was of no consequence to him that the man was well liked by Nate. But he was close to Walt, who Tim was fond of. As time passed, he had grown on the older man. His stupidity and antics were, if nothing else, a good gauge at how well Nate and Mike were holding up. And the snarky smirk told him exactly how the ride had been. Productive. Now, that was confirmed with the way he had read the situation.

Barrett was hard expressions and little words. He seemed constantly angry, something Tim related to. But the intensity was not one of darkness or negativity but thought. Patterson, to his contrast, was warm and open. He had a small smirk on his face as he listened to everyone and took in the information around him. And the static he felt with the Net closed, it was hard to say how the two Californian men seemed to speak silently with each other, but there was something deeper than the supernatural ability to interact. Undertones that were only noticed by those who were long friends.

“How long before they return,” Barrett asked after a few hours. They had made and cleaned up after lunch and the impatience of the Werebear was showing.

“If things go well, by tonight. If they don’t,” Ray paused, and the tension flickered through his mask of humor. “Then we probably have to go get them back.”

“Likelihood of that,” the man pressed, but it was Patterson who spoke.

“If they know what is smart for them, then not high at all.” The older man sighed heavily and shook his head. “I remember Shasta when she was younger and fresh to this part of the world. She was always like this. One of the few matriarchs.”

“So is that why,” Ray sneered. “Because it’s men who are turning on her.”

“Maybe,” Patterson replied as though he had given that idea some thought, even if not much. “I feel it is the fact that she realizes she’s out of time. Not in life, but this world is no longer the one she knew. She’s been removed from it all for so long that she doesn’t know how to reach the new members of the community. And she doesn’t understand why others who are of an older stock have faded from tradition. She doesn’t see the importance of growth. And our community should be all about adaption.”

Tim gave that some thought. He had never cared enough about tradition to hang onto the old rules desperately. But he noticed over the last few decades as times and technology changed, there was nothing that had in the Catskills. It had felt comforting for his old soul to see something of a retreat. Now, however, he sees the flaw. She had not grown or changed at all. That was how she lived her every waking moment—in the past. As the world raced by and the world changed, Shasta stood resolute and unwavering like the Old World had preached of. But it seemed when even the Old World looked at these and other recent events, they saw the need for change. Something she was not ready for and it meant draining the wound of all the toxins.

“They were told to say we were here,” Patterson told Barrett as a way of placating the larger man. “My name holds far more water than yours.”

“Because you’re old,” Barrett replied loosely. “I appreciate it fully, however.”

“Who exactly are you,” Walt asked calmly. His eyes were bright and curious with boyish wonder. It made Tim smirk.

“The Inquisitor. I investigate things that the High Council put too low on their list to look into personally or are out of the region. As they have no official council out here or in South America, many of us work out this way. I’m older than some who are on the High Council.”

Tim heard the way Walt breathed out a gentle, “Woah,” in response. He caught himself and blushed slightly. Ray kicked the other man’s foot gently and smirked.

“So, by using my name it says that anything she does without the proper channels will be looked at by myself personally and brought to the High Council.”

“Which means punishment,” Ray asked carefully.

“It means death,” Tim replied coarsely.

They all jumped when Brad’s phone went off. He stood and stepped into the cabin. Barrett pulled out his own and glared at the screen until the tall, pale man returned with a shocked face and breathless smile plastered on his features.

“It’s done,” he replied. “Shasta is being disposed of by the other leaders at the command of another Elder. She’s taking over what was Gray Warren.”

“And the clan?”

“Anyone who wants to leave are free to.” Brad looked at Tim expectantly and raised his eyebrow.

“Barrett told me of a wonderful cottage by the beach,” Tim said in lieu of an answer to the question.

Brad grinned wolfishly and slipped his phone into his pocket. Within the next few days, what was left of the loyal Gray Warren members would be California residents. Mike would be mated to Olivia, and Nate would finally lead a group as he had always deserved. And Tim, for the first time since his youth, would realize that there was a group worth sticking by solely. Even if there were well over one hundred and he would go gray within months of the new position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to school and my father's passing, I have decided to shut down the fic with the ending they were to have. I may write up the mating ceremony of Olivia and Mike later on,m but for now, I feel after 8 years of waiting for the story to continue, the boys deserve their ending. <3


End file.
